Maine Gov. LePage threatens to halt food stamp program amid sugar crackdown

[Zyster]

Do you want to live in a free society or one completely ruled by government for peoples daily life?

Do you think food stamps is an entitlement? How can one be less free from the removal of it and restrictions on what you purchase from it? Government funded program should not support unhealthy practices. Really more states need to be drug testing to be approved food stamps also. I would prefer alcohol tests too. People who complain they can't live yet purchasing these things should not be approved food stamps, although they should be approved a government funded program to get better with the possibility of food stamps after.

[Phookah]

We're not talking about people who buy healthy food with foodstamps. We're talking about the people who abuse the system. The people you mentioned in your post.

Except you punish the people who aren't irresponsible with that change too. Plenty of parents out there who would like to be able to buy the occasional snack for their child, or maybe something to put in their lunches. Normal people like a treat once in a while too.
Maybe something like "If you spend X% of your allotment on junk, we reduce your FS/cancel it" might be better.

[zenkai]

Because then you have cash you can use anywhere instead of food stamps you can only use on certain items

So starving people are taking a 50% cut in their food budget so they can buy tacobell? Make sense

[TZucchini]

Guess you didn't read the article. Because of health reasons.

Except, given this excuse, there's no reason to single out food stamp recipients. There's no evidence that the eating habits of those on EBT are generally worse than those who pay for their own food.

"Because health reasons" is a cop out. Otherwise you'd support banning candy and soda for everyone.

[zenkai]

Oh four whole years? And your parents were on them, not you. Thats like saying you had a house payment and shit when you were a kid because your parents did too.
When you are on them YOURSELF, as an adult who requires them, then you can pontificate all day. Save the anecdote from when you were a child for people who don't know better

Yeah I have no idea since I wasn't the one physically getting them knew what it felt like. Thanks for the most ignorant post of the day, I know what I am talking about you don't know shit

[oxymoronic]

Poor people dont deserve sweets /s

actually they dont... if you cant take care of business no desert for you. simple as that.

[Vyxn]

Poor people dont deserve sweets /s

they can eat all the sweets they want on the money they earn

[zenkai]

Except, given this excuse, there's no reason to single out food stamp recipients. There's no evidence that the eating habits of those on EBT are generally worse than those who pay for their own food.

"Because health reasons" is a cop out. Otherwise you'd support banning candy and soda for everyone.

No... if you're on food stamps are you paying your own health bills? can you see the connection?

The ironic thing is you are probably the same guy who praised the Democrat supported soda tax bill in NYC

[Vyxn]

Except, given this excuse, there's no reason to single out food stamp recipients. There's no evidence that the eating habits of those on EBT are generally worse than those who pay for their own food.

"Because health reasons" is a cop out. Otherwise you'd support banning candy and soda for everyone.

the obesity and diabetes rate of the poor says different

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Except you punish the people who aren't irresponsible with that change too. Plenty of parents out there who would like to be able to buy the occasional snack for their child, or maybe something to put in their lunches. Normal people like a treat once in a while too.
Maybe something like "If you spend X% of your allotment on junk, we reduce your FS/cancel it" might be better.

and nothing is keeping those parents from doing so they can buy all the junk food they want on the money they earn

[Strand NE]

People on food stamps tend to buy whatever is cheapest. Maybe if chocolate bars weren't 5 for $1 people would be less inclinded to buy them as a meal replacement. As it is, most produce is to expensive and you can stretch your budget further with cheap junk food.

[Cthulhu 2020]

I agree that candy bars and sugary drinks shouldn't be eligible for SNAP. But I read the reason why the SNAP committee was so loose on restrictions in the first place: SNAP is a supplemental program designed to only be a part of peiple's food costa. Restrictions just make people shift what they buy with their own money and what they buy with SNAP. It does nothing to affect what they end up buying ultimately.

[Zyster]

Except, given this excuse, there's no reason to single out food stamp recipients. There's no evidence that the eating habits of those on EBT are generally worse than those who pay for their own food.

"Because health reasons" is a cop out. Otherwise you'd support banning candy and soda for everyone.

It doesn't even need a statistical analysis. Government should not be funding scientifically backed unhealthy practices.

[oxymoronic]

I agree that candy bars and sugary drinks shouldn't be eligible for SNAP. But I read the reason why the SNAP committee was so loose on restrictions in the first place: SNAP is a supplemental program designed to only be a part of peiple's food costa. Restrictions just make people shift what they buy with their own money and what they buy with SNAP. It does nothing to affect what they end up buying ultimately.

then why would it be a problem

and trust me in some cases it will make the difference. plenty of times they will have no money and only snap benefits. besides we should do the right thing at all times, not only when easier.

[watatsuya]

I think people on food stamps should be more limited on what you buy, fast food companies for years have been campaigning to allow people to buy their food with food stamps.

I have a friend who is on disability because he is obese, how does the government fix this? They gave him a place to live then has someone come in clean his place and does his shopping. Guess what he buys? Mt Dew and Chips, he has done nothing but gain weight since he got disability 15 years ago. He went from 500lbs to 770lbs. He pretty much just sits around all day playing video games and watches Netflix.

Quite frankly, with the way the GOP throws around mental health as the solution to the gun problem, why shouldn't mental health be the solution to the junk food problem? It's an addiction, the same way drugs are an addiction. He's depressed about the state of his life, and so he eats to give himself some happiness.

[TZucchini]

No... if you're on food stamps are you paying your own health bills? can you see the connection?

Yes. I understand now. It's about you being mad about your "hard earned money" being wasted on poor people buying candy bars. I get it.

The ironic thing is you are probably the same guy who praised the Democrat supported soda tax bill in NYC

Yes. I did support that. Because the tax effected all soda buyers. Not just the poor ones.

[watatsuya]

It doesn't even need a statistical analysis. Government should not be funding scientifically backed unhealthy practices.

I would consider bombs an unhealthy thing, but our defense fund says we have been doing this for a long time.

[TZucchini]

It doesn't even need a statistical analysis. Government should not be funding scientifically backed unhealthy practices.

Giving your child a candy bar once a week is objectively not an unhealthy practice.

[BreakerOfWills]

how come republicans are all small government champions until they have a chance to fuck with poor people? You know he doesnt give one fuck about obesity in his state,

[Zyster]

Quite frankly, with the way the GOP throws around mental health as the solution to the gun problem, why shouldn't mental health be the solution to the junk food problem? It's an addiction, the same way drugs are an addiction. He's depressed about the state of his life, and so he eats to give himself some happiness.

There is already government funded programs to help those who can't afford to do so to take care of their mental issues. Food stamps is not one of them. I do see however how the entire countries problems are because of the GOP. Obama, is that you?

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Giving your child a candy bar once a week is objectively not an unhealthy practice.

Yes it is, unless you have some condition that would require it. Doing meth once a week isn't an unhealthy practice either. Overloading yourself with something you don't need, regardless of how often, it still unhealthy. Does that mean X person is doing to die sooner than Y person? Not necessarily. Being objective on that matter doesn't mean that all the sudden the facts don't exist.

[akris15]

Quite frankly, with the way the GOP throws around mental health as the solution to the gun problem, why shouldn't mental health be the solution to the junk food problem? It's an addiction, the same way drugs are an addiction. He's depressed about the state of his life, and so he eats to give himself some happiness.

I say the problem is two fold that is a society issue. 1. Processed (aka bad for you) food is much much cheaper so you can stretch out that limited budget each month on top of tasting better. 2. There is a massive stigma over people using food cards to buy fresh meat. Don't be near someone if you buy deli meat or even a cheap steak with it. Don't unless you want some random person you never met tell you how bad of a person you are for doing that although that 5 dollar steak alone is costing you like 3-5% of your budget that month.